Mitchell "Mitch" Lewis (born September 30, 1954 in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist who has been continuously active in the music industry in a variety of genres since 1974.

Career

Lewis' career began in 1974 when a fellow musician paid for his union entrance to have him play on his record. Since then, he has performed or recorded with hundreds of musicians from all over the world and travels extensively for both. As a youth he played with jazz flautist

Jane Bunnett Mary Jane Bunnett, (born October 22, 1956) is a Canadian musician and educator. A soprano saxophonist, flautist and bandleader, she is especially known for performing Afro-Cuban jazz. She travels regularly to Cuba to perform with Cuban musicians. ...

, and more recently, has performed with jazz pianist

Robi Botos Robi Botos is a Hungarian-Canadian jazz pianist. He has recorded several albums as a leader and was the winner of the Concours de Jazz, TD Grand Jazz Award at the 2012 Montreal International Jazz Festival. In 2016, Botos won the JUNO Award for Bes ...

. A shortlist of musicians he has performed or recorded with includes: John Hammond Jr.,

Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (born Edward L. Vinson Jr.; December 18, 1917 – July 2, 1988) was an American jump blues, jazz, bebop and R&B alto saxophonist and blues shouter. He was nicknamed Cleanhead after an incident in which his hair was ...

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Johnny Paycheck Johnny Paycheck (born Donald Eugene Lytle; May 31, 1938 – February 19, 2003) was an American country music singer and Grand Ole Opry member notable for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It". He achieved his greates ...

Eric Andersen Eric Andersen (born February 14, 1943) is an American folk music singer-songwriter, who has written songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt, the Grateful Dead and many others. Early in his career, in the 1960s, he ...

, David Rea,

Murray McLauchlan Murray Edward McLauchlan, (born 30 June 1948) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and harmonica player. He is best known for his Canadian hits "Farmer's Song," "Whispering Rain," and "Down by the Henry Moore". Early life Mc ...

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Jackie Washington Jackie Washington (November 12, 1919 – June 27, 2009) was a Canadian blues musician. Biography He was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, the grandson of an African American fleeing slavery, and one of fifteen children born to his parents, ...

and

Harry Manx Harry Manx (born 1955) is a Canadian musician who blends blues, folk music, and Hindustani classical music. His official website describes his music as being a "blend Indian folk melodies with slide guitar blues, add a sprinkle of gospel and ...

. For film, he was hired to do guitar arrangements for ''

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'', starring

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, and has worked for

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. He coached

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on guitar for The Vow, and Jessica Chastain on bass for

Mama Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to: Roles *Mother, a female parent * Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority *Mamas, a name for female associates of the Hells Angels Places *Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlement ...

. Lewis was also house drummer and multi-instrumentalist for London Home County Music Fest for over eight years, played drums on a tour of Japan with Little

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and played guitar with

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Discography

As session musician

* Ron Nigrini: "Above the Noise" OA1201 – "Songs From Turtle Island", OA1202 – "Recordings 1975/1976" (no number) * Rachel Kane: "Groundwire", RK0001 – "All in a Dream", RK0002 * Emigre: Self-titled, Attic Records LAT 1066, 1979. * Mark Haines and Tom Leighton: "Optimists", Jig HL0297 – "Hand to Hand", BCD136 – "Foot to Floor", HL1292 * Tom Leighton: Leighton Tendencies (no number) * Sophia Perlman and The Vipers: "Once Smitten", SPV07 – "The Vipers", (no number) *

Chuck Jackson Chuck Jackson (born July 22, 1937) is an American R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961. His hits include "I Don't Want to ...

's Big Bad Blues Band: "A Cup of Joe", LINUS 270147 * Caitlin Hanford: "Bluer Skies", CAN9027 *

Raffi Raffi Cavoukian, ( hy, Րաֆֆի, born July 8, 1948), known professionally by the mononym Raffi, is a Canadian singer-lyricist and author of Armenian descent born in Egypt, best known for his children's music. He developed his career as a " ...

: "Raffi in Concert with the Rise and Shine Band", MCAD10035 * The Canadian Aces: "Live at Alberts Hall", PACE 058 *

Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne (born Kenneth Wayne Spruell, November 13, 1944) is an American blues, boogie-woogie and jazz pianist, singer and songwriter. Music journalist, Jeff Johnson, writing in the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' stated, "There's no boogi ...

: "88th and Jump St.", Electro-Fi 3371 * Doc Fingers and his Real Gone Rhythm: "In The Pink", DF006 * Friskey Brown: "Sweet and Slow" * Handsome Dewey and the Swag: "Diamonds and Gasoline" * Live at the Reservoir Lounge (Compilation) * 2B3: "The Toronto Sessions" * Danny Brooks: "Soulsville – Souled Out 'n Sanctified", HIS House Records, 2004 * Michal Hasek and Sundog: "Naja", (recorded 1974)

References

External links

Mitch Lewis' YouTube channel
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Mitch Living people 1954 births Canadian session musicians Canadian folk musicians Canadian jazz musicians Canadian rhythm and blues musicians Canadian children's musicians Canadian guitarists Canadian drummers Canadian male drummers Canadian film score composers Male film score composers Musicians from Toronto Canadian male guitarists Canadian male jazz musicians